Jurgen Klopp has confessed that Liverpool were in need of another ‘attacking winger’ in the early stages of 2017.
The Liverpool boss also says the club are doing all they can to try and make Steven Gerrard good enough to manage Liverpool one day.
Liverpool are now set for their most active transfer window in recent years, with record moves for Mohamed Salah, Virgil Van Dijk and Naby Keita all in the pipeline.
In an interview with German publication Kicker, Klopp said:
“I was indeed made aware last summer that you won’t get a badge for a positive transfer balance.”
When asked about the clubs dip in form in January, the former Borussia Dortmund manager revealed the club tried and failed to sign an attacking winger in January.
“We did not have a squad able to avert this poor run at that time. We could have certainly used a new player, for instance an attacking winger.”
“And we tried in the winter, but the right one was either not available for us or just not there.”
“It’s easy to say what the people measure me against – titles and trophies some day and, of course, against subjective successes like Champions League participation.”
Klopp believes Steven Gerrard is surrounded by the ideal staff to help him achieve his goal of managing Liverpool.
“I asked him directly: ‘What would you like?’ He said he wanted to be manager.
“That was wonderful. Because here he has the right group, which really has the drive to really help him. And that is what we’re going to do now.”
“It probably sounds a bit funny, but I wouldn’t have thought that Gerrard could actually learn something from me,”
“As a former world-class player, he brings a lot of football knowledge, but there are many aspects in the managerial area that you just have to learn. Time is just what you must commit. And Stevie will do that now.”
